What do Windows IT professionals say about Vista when they aren't trying to sell it to you?

According to a recent survey, they aren't too happy about Vista:

"The survey, echoing one from Forrester last week, shows most IT
professionals are worried about Vista and that 44% have considered
non-Windows operating systems, such as Linux and Macintosh, to
avoid the Microsoft migration," Dubie reports.

Yeah, I know: what's a "Linux"? Maybe you've heard of Macs, but your Windows guy says they are very expensive, right? Windows is what you've been using for years, why would you switch?

Well, aside from the fact that 44% of the pro's are thinking about it themselves, and ignoring that Vista is effectively a brand new operating system that you'll need to learn, and not mentioning that it tends to be pokey and slow even on the fastest hardware, well, I guess you are right: there is no reason not to "upgrade" to Vista.

Have you seen the Apple Mac TV ads that talk about people downgrading Vista machines back to XP? That's no joke: it's really happening. A major PC vendor is evening making it easier for you:

Have a Microsoft Windows Vista Business or Microsoft Windows Ultimate
system, but need to continue using Microsoft Windows XP for a while?
For a limited time Lenovo is providing Windows XP Recovery CD media
as a way to downgrade from Windows Vista. Lenovo customers that
have Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate "qualified
systems" may purchase a Windows XP Recovery CD until July 31, 2008.
Fees may vary. Please contact your local Support Center for additional
details.

Well, OK, maybe I have convinced you not to get Vista. You can still get XP, at least for a while, so what's wrong with that?

The biggest reason for Vista was security. XP has big problems in that area: that's why Microsoft releases all those "Windows Updates" so frequently. They are patching security problems, but new ones keep popping up because, frankly and honestly, XP and everything that came before it were horribly designed operating systems. Vista does improve security a tremendous amount, and if there was no other choice, I'd tell you to buy Vista over XP even though I know you'll hate it.

But there ARE other choices. Walmart recently marketed a $198 Linux powered PC and sold out almost immediately. As to Macs, the recent release of Mac OS X Leopord simply blows Vista out of the water: it is an incredibly powerful and user friendly system.

Is there any reason left NOT to recommend a Mac or Linux box to anyone contemplating a new computer? Oh, sure, there are some folks who absolutely need some Windows-only application, but that's not nearly as automatic as it was a few years ago. In the corporate world we often have Terminal Server or browser based apps that Macs and Linux boxes are happy to connect to when necessary.

So what reason is there to stick with Windows? Obviously the pros see the reality of Vista - while some of them publicly sing its praises, in their hearts they know full well how awful it is: its only benefit is its increased security. Without that, almost no one would willing switch from XP or even Windows 2000.

Over the past few years, I have been slowly shifting my recommendations when asked about buying a new computer. Originally, I wouldn't think of recommending Linux to anyone, and I'd only mention Macs to very artistic people or those heavily using cameras and video. Over time I shifted, and would at least mention Macs and Linux as alternatives to some people, though always with caveats and disclaimers. As Mac OS X became both easier to use and more sophisticated, I was less hesitant to strongly recommend Apple, and while I remained more reticent about Linux, that attitude was definitely softening also.

It's obvious now that for many computer users, friendly Linux machines like the Walmart offering are all they need: browsing, email, chat and Google Apps. For a more demanding user, a Mac offers a more polished environment and more support for video and music. And what does Vista offer? Pain and expense.

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